Publick Church-Communion since we can read the Gospel at home for I am really a Friend to the Apostle's Creed and believe the Communion of Saints which is an Article founded on express Scripture as well as the other Articles of that Creed and which must be had by joining to some Church or Congregation such as is described in the 19th Article of the Church of England But indeed if you speak of National or Provincial Churches which distinguish themselves by their own or other Mens Inventions I am of the Mind of Diogenes who would not be a Citizen of Athens because they required some separating Ceremonies whereas He took himself to be a Citizen of the World A Passage which the Pious and Ingenious Mr. Burscough in his late Discourse of Schism has Cited but whether to this Purpose let the World Judge I will not for the same Reason confine my Communion to any such Party because I am a Member of the Catholick-Church But for Ordinary Communion certainly every Christian ought to be a Member of some Congregation if he can so be and that which Consists of his Neighbours is most Agreeable to the Ends of Christian Communion And then as to Church Officers the Bible is Plain the Epistles of the Apostles Paul are full of Evidence for Bishops Presbyters and Deacons He left Tinus in Creet to Ordain Presbyters in every City Tit. 5. and 4.4 Eph. 11. He tells us that our Saviour gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the Perfecting of the Saints c. The Words are all Masculine and no Place Mentions a she Apostle or Evangelist But here let the Clergy observe the Consequence of pretending to Unscriptural Rights jure Divino which drives Men to Question whether they have any at all But let that Author and all Men know that the Ministers of the Gospel are Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God 1 Cor. 4.1 They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Presidents Persons that Preside or as it is rendred are over the Church in the Lord 1 Thess 5.1.2 We read 1 Tim. 5.17 of Elders that Rule well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tho' Presiding Presbyters a Passage one would think inconsistent with the Presbyterian Government as Opposed by the Episcopal For I know no better Description of a Bishop then a Presiding Presbyter and yet a Passage that hath been tortured to Prove Lay-Elders and to make that Government Jure Divino Indeed I know no Text so much relyed on except perhaps that 1 Tim. 4. 14. Timothy's Gift was given Him by laying on of the Hands of the Presbyters which Place the Learned Calvin himself quits as proving no such Matter Besides 't is Plain that St. Paul's Hands were laid on him too 2 Tim. 1.6 And I cannot but Observe that this Passage in this Second Epistle which was Written about Eleven Years after the First seems to fall from that inspired Writer to prevent the Mistake that Men might be led into by that other Text in the first Epistle and at the same time Insinuate that in Ordination the Bishop and Presbyters where a Church has both do best together so the same Apostle in his Second Epistle to the Corinthians Explains some Passages in his first as also some Things in his first Epistle to the Thessalonians that occasioned Mistakes are set right in the Second On the other Side 't is strange to see the Jus Divinum of Prelatical Government is founded by some on Passages that make most Strongly against it of which I shall Content my self at Present with one Instane Acts 20. 17. St. Paul from Miletus sent to Ephesius and called the Presbyters of the Church who v. 28. He says were made Bishops by the Holy Ghost this is a Place much relied on against the Difference of Order But Mr. Maurice in his Defence of Diocesan Episcopacy endeavouring to Enervate Mr. Clarkson's Argument from that Passage Quotes Ireneus L. 3. Cap. 14. Who he says being Born in the End of the First Century might have Notices from Tradition of more of St. Paul's Visitation than is Recorded by St. Luke and tells us that St. Paul having called together the Bishops and Presbyters of Ephesus and the other Neighbouring Cities c. The Text is the Presbyters Irenaeus says Bishops and Presbyters and Paul tells them that the Holy Ghost had made them Bishops Now let the Reason of Mankind Judge whether this Passage of Irenaeus be not much Stronger against Diocesan Episcopacy as it Imports a Difference of Order than the Text it self for some Prelates have endeavour'd to avoid the force of that Text by affirming that those Presbyters were all Bishops But if Irenaeus be in the right both the Bishops and Presbyters were Bishops of the Holy Ghosts making i. e. Jure Divino It seems the Apostles Rule 1 Pet. 5.5 was observed then which was about Twelve Years before that Epistle was Written viz. The Younger Presbyters did submit themselves unto the Elder tho' at the same time they were all Subject one to another and were cloathed with Humility And that this Ancient Father knew no other Difference will appear to the Impartial Reader who will consult these Passages Lib. 4. Cap. 43. Cap. 44. Cap. 52. Cap. 63. Lib. 5. Pag. 299. 322. Surely Mr. Maurice had as good let that Father alone and have wholly slid away from the Objection as he does in another Place for Mr. Clarkson making it his great Argument against Diocesan Episcopacy that it was wholly Impracticable supposing the Bishop the sole Pastor of the Diocess consisting of many Churches Pag. 226. and proving it irrefragably from Reason and the Testimony of Chrysostom and others and having mentioned Gregory Orat. 20. who Applauds the Multiplying of Bishopricks as an Excellent Art Souls being hereby better lookt after he Observes that others would have this less regarded and the Bishops Honour more Now what does Mr. Maurice say to all this why in Truth just nothing at all St. Chrysostom says that a Bishop at the Peril of his Soul is to take exact Notice of the Spiritual State of all under his Charge and constantly to perform all Pastoral Duties to the whole Flock he had need of many Thousand Eyes to look into the State of every Soul under him which of them can Digest bitter Remedies and who for want of them grow Careless Tho' he Order his own Life well if he does not exactly take Care of thee and of all that are under him to Hell he goes with the Wicked And in another Place it is very Burdensom to have the Charge of 150 Souls Now what is to be done These Matters are Plain If a Bishop be the sole Pastor of 500000 and some of them live 3000 Miles from the Bishops Pallace as for the Purpose the distance of the West-Indies from Fulham how is Chrysostom to be answered Why even by denying what he says Bishops says Mr.
City or Mountain prescribed no Postures nor Dresses it threw down all Inclosures and was a Gospel sit to be Preach'd to every Creature Our Saviour taught in Synagogues and in Mountains and in a Coat woven from the top throughout The Apostles wore the Habits of the Places where they dwelt and taught in the Synagogues that were built Both Christ and they used the Septuagint Translation and complied with the Customs and Hours of the Jews And in short the Apostles Rule was to become all Things to all Men 1 Cor. 9.22 and to comply with the innocent Usages of all Places but when those Customs or Usages Gal. 2.3 4 5. Gal. 5.1 2. were added to Christianity or impos'd they always rejected them with Abhorrence Thus were Matters left by the Apostles and the Disciples of the First Age followed their Example and hence the Christians among the Jews complying with their Customs and the Christians among the Gentiles with theirs the Christian World might within one Age be distinguish'd into the Judaizing and Gentilizing Christians Paul Circumcised Timothy among the Jews And Church-History tells us That Fifteen Jerusalem Bishops were Circumcised And the Empire of Habbasia which was Discipled by the Aethiopean Eunuch a Jewish Proselyte continue Circumcision to this Day though as no Religious Rite On the other side the Roman Christians and others among the Heathens used several of their Customs by that General Rule of becoming all Things to all Men. But as in the Apostles Time some used their Liberty for an Occasion to the Flesh and this Charitable Principle occasioned Differences among the Apostles themselves for Paul withstood Peter to the Face at Antioch for withdrawing from the Gentiles to please the Jews so in the following Ages Gal. 2.11 12. when the Power of inward Religion grew more cold the Customs which were taken up as convenient such as keeping Days in compliance with the Jewish and Heathenish Festivals distinguishing the Clergy by Habits as both Jews and Heathens used to do their Priests became at last to be accounted Sacred and the Days were taken for Holy Days and the Clothes for Holy Garments But the greatest Depravation of Christianity came from the Agreement that was between Jews and Gentiles in their setting up of High-Priests The shew of Order and Unity Mark 8.27 Luke 9.18 that appear'd therein was very tempting When our Saviour had told Simon Mat. 16.13 to 24. that he should be call'd Cephas and that the Church should be built on his Confession of Faith it is probable that the Apostles began to think of his being the Chief for the Question was soon after started among them Matth. 18.1 Mark 9.33 Luke 9.46 Ibid. and Mat. 20.25 Luke 22.25 Mark 20.42 Heb. 7.23 24. which of them should be greatest that is to say the Pope And had not our Saviour Positively and Catagorically resolved the Question both on that Occasion and in Answer to the Ambitious Sons of Zebedee Hierarchical Domination in greater and lesser Popes might have been thought Justifiable from the Example of the Jews whose Hierarchy was of Divine Institution But that our Saviour is our only High Priest is most evident That by that Rule of his It shall not be so done amongst you he hath taken away all colour of Domination among his Ministers on Pretence of his Institution seems a reasonable Opinion for the several Evangelists do so expresly agree in that Prohibition that it is impossible to evade it by the common Distinction viz. That our Saviour there forbids Tyranny and Ambition but not Superiority especially since the Evangelist Luke speaks not of the Authority exercised by Tyrants but Benefactors It doth no where appear that the Apostles were the Governors of the Seventy nor is any Difference in Order to be found in Scripture between Bishops and Presbyters for the Difference between the Apostles and the Seventy appears to be this that the Apostles were Persons chosen to be Witnesses of all that Jesus did or taught and of his Resurrection and Ascention they were of the Family of our Saviour and Privy to his whole Conversation in which Respect they neither had nor can have Successors No more than the Evangelists ☜ whom no Man pretends to have had Successors as Evangelists And it seems most reasonable to believe that whereas Dr. Hammond and others hold that the Presbyters mention'd Acts xx were also Bishops So they were Apostles also in the sense of St. Chrysostom Epiphanius Theodoret and others and Luke x. 1. and divers other Places the same word is used concerning them viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is derived And if we say that Apostles Bishops or Presbyters and Deacons are Officers of Divine Institution to continue in the Church surely we are right for such only do we find in Scripture and of such did the Governors of the Church at Philippi consist Phil. 1.1 Some indeed in Ecclesiastical History are said to have succeeded the Apostles but they succeeded them not as Matthias did Judas for he succeeded him in the Extraordinary Work of the Apostolate and therefore was chosen out of those who had accompanied with the Apostles all the Time that the Lord Jesus went in and out amongst them beginning from the Baptism of John unto the same Day that he was taken up and was added to them to make twelve Witnesses of his Resurrection Acts 2.21 22. but the Nature of the Succession was as Apostles Bishops and Presbyters in their several Sees whereas Apostles in the strict Sense as Apostles were not confin'd to any See but were Ministers of the whole Catholick Church and on whom as St. Paul speaks of himself was the care of all the Churches and unless it can be made appear that the Apostles have such Successors and also such as were Witnesses of what our Saviour did and taught as Matthias was the Apostolate as to so much of it must be Temporary from the Nature of the thing The Arguments for a Superiority of the Order of Bishops drawn from the Precedency of James at Jerusalem who there seems to be Superiour to the Apostles tho' he was none of the Twelve concludes only for a Bishops Power in his own Church where he is fix'd but nothing for the Superiority in Order of Bishops above Presbyters as of revealed Institution If Ignatius who tells us that St. Stephen was a Deacon to St. James had told us also of his Presbyters of a distinct Order no doubt but his Testimony had been concluding but a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a Bishop are all one in Antiquity And although at first the Twelve Apostles who had the Infallible Direction of the Holy Ghost did ordain those President Bishops perhaps then but certainly afterwards they were made by Election The Epistles of St. John to the Angels of the Seven Churches of Asia prove not this Distinction of Order nor any thing more than shall
be hereafter accounted for in this Discourse And however the Epistles of St. Ignatius stand Irrefragably defended from the charge of being Spurious I cannot see but that allowing the Bishop to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sufficient to comply with the full Sense of those Epistles especially if it be consider'd that the Bishops of which he speaks were made so by the Apostles themselves and no doubt were chosen by infallible Direction and must therefore deserve a most singular Respect But allowing Men to think as they see Evidence concerning this Difference of Order certainly the Practice of the Church may be such as may allow of Different Apprehensions without occasioning either Tyranny or Schism the Method whereof is attempted in this Discourse However it is plain that both our Saviour and his Disciples did wholly reject all Temporal Jurisdiction and applied themselves entirely to their Spiritual Administrations and that there was no Distinction Causes into of Spiritual or Ecclesiastical and Temporal or Civil in the Christian World for above Three Hundred Years after Christ Indeed while the Emperors were Heathens and the Judges too throughout the Empire the Christians according to the Advice of St. Paul forbare to go to Law 1 Cor. 6.5 6. and referred all their Differences usually to the Bishops or Pastors of the Congregations of which they were Members And when Constantine came to the Empire his mistaken Zeal confirm'd the Custom though the Apostle's Reason for it ceased And whereas the Civil Power ought to have been reassum'd by the Christian Magistrate and the Clergy eased of Secular Business his Edict set up the Clergy's Domination and from Arbitrators they became Judges and Christian Magistrates might not Judge unwilling Christians This Corruption grew so fast Socrat. lib. 7. cap. 11. that about the Year 430. in the Popedom of Celestine the Patriarchs of Rome and Alexandria did Degenerate from an Ecclesiastical to a Secular Ruling and Dominion And when I consider how positively that Degeneracy is forbidden by our Saviour Matth. 20.26 Luke 22.25 Mark 10.43 who upon all Occasions reprov'd it in his own Disciples When I consider what Miserie 's the Clergy Domination has caused more than Twelve Hundred and Sixty Years since that Degeneracy how it has turn'd the Church into a meer Worldly Kingdom and the Laws thereof into Humane Politicks I cannot but rejoice that by the Laws of England this Degeneracy is or might be cured were the Laws put in Execution and the Supremacy restor'd to the Civil Power And whether the Pope of Rome by this Degeneracy did commence the Apocalyptick Beast entring into the Seat of Daniel's 4th Beast and so the time of his Reign be expired may be worth the Consideration of those that study the Apocalypse But certain it is that in England the Bishop of Rome before the Norman Conquest had no allow'd Jurisdiction but the Conqueror coming in under the Pope's Banner gave him leave to send Legates into England From William Rufus he attempted to gain Appeals to Rome which occasion'd the Banishment of Anselm Archbishop of Canterbury during the Reign of that King Upon Henry the First he Usurp'd the Donation of Bishopricks On King Stephen Appeals to Rome On Henry the Second the Exemption of Clerks from the Secular Power And from King John he got the whole Kingdom I shall not trace the Steps by which the Kingdom recover'd it self out of the Hands of the Clergy but notwithstanding the Pope held our Ancestors Consciences in Slavery till the Reign of Henry the Eighth many Acts of Parliament were made to uphold and maintain the Sovereignty of the King the Liberty of the People the Common Law and the Commonweal as appears by the Statutes of Edward the Third and and Richard the Second Henry the Fourth and Henry the Fifth being Laws of Premunire and Provision by which the Civil Power was preserv'd and the Body secured against the monstrous pretended Foreign Head And upon the whole the Civil Power of England kept it self out of the Hands of the Priests in all Matters and Causes except Causes Testamentary and of Matrimony Divorce Rights of Tythes Oblations and Obventions for as the Emperors out of a Zeal and desire to Grace and Honour the Bishops allow'd them Jurisdiction in Causes of Tythes because they were paid to Priests in Causes of Matrimony because Marriages were Solemniz'd in the Church in Causes Testamentary because Testaments were many times made in Extremis when Priests were present So the Kings of England before the Reformation did all along derive Jurisdiction in these Causes to the Bishops though the Right remain'd in them as the Fountain But herein England hath been more unhappy than the Empire for whereas the Bishops when Christian Emperors granted them this Jurisdiction proceeded in these Causes according to the Imperial Law as the Civil Magistrate did proceed in other Causes our Bishops introduced the Imperial Law and since it came into the World the Canon Law also into England and endeavoured all they could to destroy Caesar's Image and Superscription They call'd their Courts Courts Christian as if the Civil Courts were but Courts of Ethnicks and their Causes Spiritual as if Civil Causes were Carnal And yet if an Honest Man Examine the Matter he will probably find as much Christianity in Westminster-Hall as in Doctors Commons and Adultery a Crime no more Spiritual than Murder Since the Reformation began the Civil and Pretended Spiritual Authority have been wresting and they are not yet fully agreed It was Enacted by the Statute 24 Hen. VIII Cap. 12. That all these Spiritual Causes should be Judged within the King's Authority and not elsewhere By the 26 Hen. VIII Cap. 14. The Parliament took upon them even in those Popish Times to Create new Bishops Suffragans and to appoint their Sees And this multiplying of Bishopricks is no new thing for if you will believe Giraldus Cambrenses he tells us in a Writing which he presented to Pope Innocent the Third That in Britain there were in the time of the Romans Five Provinces and accordingly Five Arch-Bishopricks under each of which was Twelve Bishopricks so there were Threescore Bishopricks at a time when the Island was not wholly Christianized Nor is the Translation of Sees any Novelty for in the Year 604 Pope Gregory did for the sake of Austin the Monk procure the Translation of the Archiepiscopal Seat from London to Canterbury where it remains to this Day notwithstanding the endeavour of Gilbert Folioth Bishop of London in the time of Henry the Second and the endeavours of other Bishops of London since to recover the Archiepiscopal Dignity But to proceed by Statute 1. Edw. VI. Cap. 2. The Writ of Conge delire was ousted and it was Enacted That none but the King by his Letters Patents should collate to an Archbishoprick or Bishoprick That all Process Ecclesiastical should be in the King's Name and the Test in the Name of the Person having
the word Church till after the end of the Prophecy and this perhaps is also the Reason why the Reformed Christian Church of the latter Days is called the Bride the Lamb's Wife A Bride in opposition to the Whore and the Bride the Lamb's Wife in opposition to the Wife of Anthropos But this by the way only observe that Simon Magus the Father of these Aeons was if you believe Baronius fetch'd down out of the Air by St. Peter's Prayers at Rome Anno 45 about 4 Years before St. Paul wrote the Epistle to the Thessalonians And take notice also that Irenaeus in his 33 d. Chapter of his first Book observes that Ignorance and Impudence False Zeal Fury Envy and Lust were said to be born about the same time with this same blessed couple Now Sir you must excuse me if I have no kindness for any of the Off-spring of these Folk and if I find any thing put upon me as part of Revealed Religion which appears to be begot by Anthropos on Ecclesia and if you or the Men of your Party Write as many Books as would fill the Tower of Babel in behalf of such things I shall still remember such Texts as these to the Law and to the Testimony If they speak not according to this Rule 't is because there is no Light in them 8 Is 20. Thus it is written c. I must always say of the Christianity contained in the Writings of the Sacred Penman as Josephus says of the Writings of Moses Every thing that they wrote is yet extant and we must take it as they left it Joseph Page 92. without any room for Ornament or Variation And it was by this Principle which runs throughout his whole Work that Irenaeus routed all the Hereticks and all their Army of Aeons except this couple who have plagued do plague and will plague the World till the total downfal of Antichrist for as your aforesaid Oracle in his New Association Page 2. Page 17. observes when once we leave the Institutions of God there is no stop and our Imagination is our only Rule Magna est veritas prevalebi◠But 't is high time Sir to stop least after all you should think that I here condemn the Church of England as by Law Establish'd against which I don't say one word the late designed Act not being past For I do declare I take no Church to be a Whore unless she be guilty of Idolatry for that is Spiritual Adultery in Scripture Language I could wish that none but the Great Whore were concerned with Anthropos but some Churches that are not Whores are a little guilty of Jilting now and then and are too apt to Paint and to take some parts of the Attire of an Harlot tho' they are not so and therefore I wish all honest Churches would consider what it is that will be done when it shall be said that the Marriage of the Lamb is come 19 Rev. 7. and his Wife hath made her self ready The Case of the Regale makes the only considerable Matter in Controversie between the Church and Dissenters to be Episcopacy all other Matters being easily accommodated that Episcopacy was the Heir which they said come let us kill him that the Inheritance may be ours Page 248 that he takes Episcopacy to be no indifferent thing but Instituted by Christ and confirmed by the constant Practice of the Vniversal Church of Christ in all Ages Page 254. And yet in the Shape of a Wolf Page 27. He falls very fiercely upon his Brother Wolf of Rome and calls the Pope the Grand Schismatick and why e'en because Catholick Communion is broke by the Church of Rome in the Usurpation of her Bishops over all the rest of his Fellow Bishops and confining the Catholick Church to his own Communion then it seems that is Schism in the Pope which would have been Establishing Peace and Unity and Setling our Constitution upon a sure and lasting Foundation if done by the Occasional Bill Peace at Home Page 12. But if the Pope be in the wrong what is this Episcopacy that is of Divine Right And what is a Diocess and what Texts are there that prove an Equality among Bishops which do not also prove Presbyters to be Bishops St. Peter we just now read was a Fellow Presbyter and would never have Exhorted Presbyters to act the Bishop if he had known that Presbyters and Bishops differed in Order Jure Divino Nor would St. John who Wrote his Gospel about the Year 98 about 65 Years after he had received the Miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghost and after he came out of the boyling Oil have omitted so necessary a Matter nor would he in his 2 d. and 3 d. Epistles just before his Death have misled the Church by calling himself the Presbyter which is the first word in both those Epistles especially in his Third Epistle in which he complains of Diotrephes who lov'd the Preheminence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lover of Prelacy for not receiving him and for casting the Brethren out of the Church He would have been careful to have used the Stile of a Higher Order nay 't is plain he did not think it a Disparagement to the surviving Apostle of Jesus Christ to be styled a Presbyter but hitherto the Church of Christ remained a pure Virgin Hegesippus in Eus l. 3. c. 32. and Anthropos had not prevailed to introduce his Spouse in her stead This Parity appears from divers Places in Irenaeus in the second Century and the well known Place in St. Hierom the Confession of Binius in 1 Can. Apost is remarkable that the Names of Bishop and Presbyter were promiscuously used and not distinguish'd for above 200 Years I will add the words of the Learned Hales in his Discourse of Schism They deceive themselves and others who would perswade us that Bishops by the Institution of Christ have any Superiority above other Men except that which requires Reverence or That a Bishop is Superior by any other Law than Positivo and by the common Consent of Christians Do I then Sir Humphrey say any thing against the Constition of the Church of England not at all Jure Positivo The Priests and People are Governed by the Queen the Laws are made by Queen Lords and Commons there are as many Lord Lieutenants as Counties and Bishops as Diocesses and Archbishops as Provinces there are among the People Dukes Marquesses c. and among the Ministers Deans Arch-Deacons Prebends c. But for God's sake what Texts do you quote for the Jus Divinum either of the Monarchy limitted by our Laws and all the Subordinate Officers in the English Form of Government tho' the best in the World or for the Hierarchy of the Church of England with all its Subordinate Officers as described by Dr. Cousius in his Ecclesiae Anglicanae Politica Reprint that Book and let us have the Scriptures proving the Constitution Jure Divino in the next Edition
which were ordained for their Salvation and this Policy of his appears in no Instance more evident than in the Methods he has taken to make the Eucharist a means of Destruction while by unworthily Receiving 1 Cor. 11 29. Men Eat and Drink Damnation to themselves Hence his faithful Servants the Authors of that Mystery of Iniquity Popery have made Transubstantiation a Test of their Catholicism burning and damning Men for being Men that is for using their Sense and Reason With one hand robbing us of the Holy Sacrament and its proper uses and with the other presenting us with a piece of Pageantry and requiring our Adoration of a senseless Idol The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was instituted by our Blessed Saviour in Remembrance of Himself and as a Bond of Union among his Followers 'T is the peculiar Right of such who by sound Faith well digested Knowledge and some Experience of the Comforts and Pleasures that result from a good Conscience and Holy Conversation are made to long for further Degrees of Conformity to the Will of God clearer manifestations of the Divine Love and more evident signs of the Souls recovery from its fallen State The Motives to come to it ought to be from within or else from above and not from beneath and the things to be obtained by it ought to be increase of Spiritual Blessings and not of outward Emoluments Blessed is that Nation where the Government can find Men otherwise fitted for Publick Employments whose use of this Sacrament appears by their Conversations to proceed from such Principles And surely he who loves the Commemoration of the Prince of the Kings of the Earth Revel 1.5 in this way of his own Institution has an excellent Qualification to recommend him to those Vice-gerents of that Prince who desire and design to promote his Interest But Sir to give a plain Answer to your Question I am of Opinion That it is at least inconvenient to impose the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper on every Man that executes an Office in Publick Administrations and that among others for these Reasons 1. The Ordinance was instituted to other ends and I know not when the Warrant was signed by our Saviour to use it to such a purpose T is his great Seal and ought not to be put to any Commissions but his own 2. No Man who is fit for it needs a Law to bring him to it Heb. 2.10 All the Soldiers of the Captain of our Salvation are Voluntiers Psal 110.3 and on the contrary it is certain that he that needs a Law to bring him to it is not fit for it 3. If this Test be establish'd it is the Duty of all Men in their respective Places to keep from Oâ—â—â—es all that are guilty of Sweâ—â—ing Whoring Drinking and the other parts of a profane Life which are obvious to common Observation for those things evidently unfit Men to receive the Sacrament And if the Government should permit no Man to be in any Office that drinks to excess or mispends his time in Tipling that uses to swear in common Discourse or whose Life otherwise appears vitious what multitudes of Places would be empty which are now well filled for the Publick Interest And yet what Cruelty would it be to any vicious Man to put him under a Necessity of profaning the Sacrament by putting him into Office for it is most certain that not only every Man that lives in the practice of any known Vice but every Man that lives not in a daily endeavour to perform his Covenant made in Baptism with the most Blessed Trinity ought to keep far off from the Sacred Table I know it is objected that all Men ought to be fit for the Sacrament and that it will tend much to a good Life that they be under a Necessity to receive it But let Experience speak Mens Stomachs have scarce yet digested the Sacraments which they have prophaned for some Years past to keep their Places Men have taken the Sacrament and betrayed their Country and ruined their honest Neighbours Taken the Sacrament and introduced Popery Taken the Sacrament and murdered Men by colour of Law And who is there of a Subject among the Authors of the Grievances of the Nation that took not the Sacrament to enable him so to be Not to mention Persons of a better Rank how many Vintners Ale-house-keepers and others of like Profession have purchased their Licences at the Hazard of their souls And I dare appeal to all Men to whom these Presents shall come whether within their Knowledge any Reformation has been wrought thereby Five hundred have refused it for Conscience sake for one prophane Person that has scrupled it And who and where is he whose Life hath been reformed by being under this Necessity But if the universal Depravity of Mens Manners be compared with the universal Attendance that was paid of late at the Communion Table what dreadful Prospect is presented thereby to any considering Mind If of the Corinthians who received unworthily 1 Cor. 11.30 many were Sick and Weak and some were punished with Death What Desolations would Divine Vengeance make in England should the same Measure be meted out to us But Fifthly The Kingdom of our Lord Christ John 18.36 is not of this World Acts 3.21 at least not before the time of the Restitution of all Things And altho' the good Christian must necessarily be a good Subject yet a Man whose fitness to receive the Sacrament is known to God his own Conscience and to all good Men may be very unfit for an Office in the State and he may be exceedingly fit for a Publick Employment whose unfitness to receive the Sacrament is asâ—…vious It is an Opinion in this sence justly exploded That Dominion is founded in Grace Psal 15.16 for God has given the Earth to those Children of Men whom he designs not for Heaven And those Children of this World who are wiser in their Generation than the Children of Light Luke 16.8 are by reason of that Wisdom fit to be employed therein 6. The Generations to come shall call them Blessed who instead of forcing Men to the Sacrament use all Means divinely Instituted to make them fit for it The Primitive Bishops kept Men Catechumens for a long time and admitted none to the Sacraments till they were approved and practical Christians And if the Inhabitants and especially the Children of England were every where made Catechumens by Publick Authority the next Generation may probably fill all Publick Employments with Men who would approach the Sacrament both to the Publick Advantage and their own For the Appearances of Divine Providence in the World are now conspicuous and at all times but especially in those Days wherein God is pleased more eminently to take to himself his great Power and Reign good Men are Publick Blessings Rev. 1.17 Ten Righteous had saved Sodom at such a Day Gen. 18.32 Laban's